Climate Change Impacts on LULC in the Jarmet Wetland and its Surrounding Areas in Western Ethiopia

Abstract

The concerns over land use and land cover (LULC) change have emerged on the global stage due to realization that changes occurring on the land surface also influence climate, ecosystem and its services. This study aimed to map the temporal dynamic of LULC patterns and LST in the Jarmet wetland in Ethiopia. The dynamics and pattern of changes for a period of 21 years (2000-2021) were analyzed using geospatial techniques. Multi-temporal satellite images from Landsat ETM+ and Landsat-8 OLI sensor data were used to extract land-cover maps. The Land Surface Temperature (LST) trend of the study areas was computed using MODIS satellite imagery (2000-2021). Supervised classification using a Maximum Likelihood Classifier (MLC) was applied to prepare LULC maps of the watershed. The accuracy of the classified map was assessed using high-resolution data, and ground realities have been verified and ascertained through field observations. The results revealed a decreased trend in wetland, forest, shrubland and grassland in the period of 21 years (2000-2021) by -1148.71ha, -1073.26 ha, -1480.1 ha, and -87.73 ha, respectively. On the other hand, farmland and plantation areas followed an increasing trend. LST revealed decreasing trend in terms of mean and minimum with a fraction change of -0.018 and -0.073, whereas the maximum LST value shows an increasing trend with 0.021. The overall accuracy was 84.41%, with Kappa index of 76.13%. The analysis and findings of the study highlight important policy implications for sustainable LULC management in the study area. The study suggests the design and implementation of a guided natural resource policy, stopping the illegal expansion of farmland and educating society about the value of the sustainable management of habitat reserves.